Aerial bomb.



A. PARSONS.

AERIAL BOMB.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 8, 1915.

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AERIAL BOMB.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 8. 1915.

1 1 59,704. Patented Nov. 9, 1915.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

ANSELM PARSONS, OF SARANAG LAKE, NEW YORK.

AERIAL BOMB.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 9, 1915.

Application filed April 8, 1915. Serial No. 19,950.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ANsnnM PARSONS, a citizen of the United Statesof'America, re-

siding at Saranac Lake, in the county of a portion thereof, a magnetwhich is espe-" cially adapted to be. influenced by magnetic metals suchas the steel of which the modern naval war vessels are constructed.Under the magnetic influence of the material of the naval war vessel,the magnet in the bomb and its attachment is caused to signal theoperator on the aerial craft, so that the operator may release the bombat the proper time.

A further accomplishment of the device of the present invention is itscapability of definitely locating the object sought so that the bomb maybe released at the precise moment to become efi'ective.

The invention consists in certain novel combinations and arrangements ofparts for carrying the bomb in position suspended from an aerial craft,and in dispensing said bomb or releasing it so that it may do itseffective work, as will be more fully hereinafter explained.

In the accompanying drawings I have illustrated one complete example ofthe physical embodimentof my invention constructed according to the bestmode I have so far devised for the practical application of theprinciples of the invention.

Figure 1 is a view, showing in side elevation, the complete apparatus assuspended from a supporting frame. Fig. 2 is a simi* lar view taken atright angles to -Fig. 1. Fig. 3is an enlarged sectional view ofthehousing or casing which incloses the bomb, showing the operating partsin elevation, and showing in dotted lines the projectile as having beenreleased from the apparatus.

In the preferred embodiment of my invention, as illustrated in thedrawings, the

device is depicted as suspended from a frame work A, WhlCh is supposedto be a portion of the rigging or supporting frame of a flymg'machine,air ship, or other aerial craft. The apparatus is sup orted from thisframe A, by means of a orked U-shaped yoke B, preferably of metal, anddesigned to accommodate the two drums O and D.

These drums are journaled in the yoke on shafts G and D, and they areadapted to move in unison through the engagement of the two pinions Eand Fon the respective shafts. A crank handle G is employed to revolvethese drums, and it will be apparent that the drums may be moved inunison in either -direction by operating the crank handle G. I haveillustrated three ropesor cables, two of them as the suspending rope 1,and the latch rope 2, passing over the drum C, and the pull rope 3passing over the drum D. This arrangement is provided in order toprevent the three lines or ropes becoming tangled, and by using twodrums, the lines are kept separated, but at the same time are kept inclose proximity at all times.

The suspending rope 1 supports the entire projectile and its casing 4.This casing .is an open bottom shell of non-magnetic material, andhaving a rounded closed'upper end and its open lower end being providedwith a closure or hinged bottom' 5, also of non-magnetic material. Thebottom 5 is hinged to the casing at 6, and as clearly seen in 3, it isadapted to swing downwardly when opening the casing. The

hinged bottom is supported in closed posi- V tionby a catch 7 pivoted at8 on the casing diametrically opposite the hinge 6, and the hooked end 9of the catch fits under a boss 10 projecting from the bottom 5, and bymeans of thls boss the hooked end of the catch holds the bottom inclosed position. The catch is controlled by the pull rope 3 which isattached to the catch by the use of a pivoted link 11. The null rope 3is passed through an eye 12 attached at'the upper end of the casing 4,and by meansof a second eye 13, carried by the suspending rope I,

the pull rope is guided up to a position in proximity with the otherropes or lines 1 and 2, and then said rope is conveyed to the revolubledrum D. It will be apparent that an upward pull on the rope 3willmovethe catch 7 and withdraw the hooked end 9 of the catch fromunder the boss 10, and as shownin Fig. 3, when i this action takes placeit will be apparent that the unsupportedhinged bottom 5 will swing bygravity on its hinge 6 to the vertical position shown in dotted. lines,Fig. 3.

The suspending rope 1 is connected to the casing 4 by means of an eyebolt 14: which is fixed in the upper end of the casing 4, and this boltin conjunction with the bracket 15 within the casing 4, forms a supportfor the latch 16 by means of which the bomb 17 and its magnet 18 aresuspended in the casing 4. The latch is pivoted at 19 within the casing4;, and at 20 the rope 2 is attached. The latch is formed with a curvedbolt 21 on an arc struck irom the pivot center 19, and the bolt engagesa keeper 22 which is a perforated portion of the bracket 15. The bomb issuspended from this bolt by means of an eye bolt 23 fixed at the upperend of the bomb and passed over the bolt 21. In Fig. 3, the arrangementof these parts is clearly shown, where the bolt is passed through theeyebolt and is seated in the keeper 22. It will be apparent that torelease the bomb, the latch bolt must be withdrawn from its keeper andthe eyebolt 23, and for this purpose the latch rope 2 is utilized. InFig. 3, it will be seen that the latch rope is passed through an opening24 in the upper end of the casing, and is attached at 20 to the latch. Apull on the latch rope swings the latch and its bolt to the dottedposition in Fig. 3, and the bomb is released as the latch bolt iswithdrawn from the eyebolt.

The bomb may be of any suitable explosive, and of any accepted type, butin the drawings I have illustrated a conventional form of firing pin ordetonator 24 which projects from the bottom of the magnet and is passedinteriorly therethrough to the bomb. The bomb is exploded when thisfiring pin or detonator is driven home, and this is accomplished whenthe firing pin contacts with a body, and the weight or impact of thefalling bomb drives the detonator into the bomb to fire the explosivecharge contained therein.

In Figs. 1 and 2, I have illustrated an indicating or signaling device,which is of the simplest form and construction, and embodies a coilspring 26 which is attached at two points on the suspending rope 1, sothat a portion of the rope will be slacked, as shown in Fig. 1. Theother ropes 2 and 3, are shown also as slacked. This arrangement of thespring is provided so that the diagrammatic signaling device indicatedby the stationary arrow 27 and the movable arrow 28, carried by thespring 26, may indicate to the attendant or operator the exact time atwhich to discharge or release the bomb. This signal is operated throughthe magnetic influence of a steel battleship exerted on the magnet 18carried within the casing 4. Thus, with the casing 4 dangling orsuspended at a suitable distance from an aerial craft, and the craft inmotion, when the apparatus inclosed within the casing passes over thesteel battleship, the magnetic influence pulls on the casing, and thespring 26 as a result is extended, and this extension of the springactuates the diagrammatic signaling device so that the two arrows 27 and28 are separated and this separation gives a visual signal to theattendant, and he isinformed that the bomb is in position to bedischarged or released. In

discharging the bomb from the casing, the pull rope 3 is first'operatedto release the hinged bottom 5, and then the latch 2 is pulled in orderto free the latch bolt 21 from the eye bolt 23. These two releasingoperations may be accomplished by hand, or they may be accomplishedautomatically, if desired. It will be understood, however, that thecasing 4 is not released, but remains suspended by itsvrope 1. Themoment the bomb and its magnet are released, they drop as a projectilefrom the casing 4, and fall upon the battleship, and the bomb isexploded by the impact upon its firing pin or detonator. The descent ofthe bomb is controlled to an extent by the magnetic influence betweenthe steel of the battleship and the magnet 18 carried by the bomb, sothat in this manner the bomb is guided to its destination.

It will be understood, of course, that the spring 26 is of suflicientstrength to support the casing 4 and its contents, but it is also ofsuflicient delicacy and sensitiveness to respond to a pull upon themagnet in the casing, and in this manner the spring and its signalingdevice act, and indicate the presence of a battleship. This magneticinfluence could also be felt by an attendant who is holding the crankhandle G. In this manner the presence of the battleship and its locationwithin' the inflence of the magnet would be indicated by a pull upon thesuspending rope 1, and this pull would be transmitted through the drumsC and D, so that its efi'ect would be felt in the crank handle G, andtransmitted to the hand of the attendant holding this crank handle.

After the bomb has been discharged or released from the casing 4:, thecasing may be hauled up to the aerial craft, and reloaded for anotheroperation.

In this manner it will readily be seen that the projectile may bedischarged with unerring and precise action so that it will strike itstarget, with the required result.

What I claim is:

1. The combination with a supporting means, of a casing having a hingedbottom and a retaining catch therefor with means for releasing thecatch, a latch bolt pivoted within the casing, an explosive projectileand a magnet suspended upon said bolt, a rope for withdrawing said boltto release the projectile, a suspending rope for the casing, andsignaling means connected to said suspending rope whereby the saidsignaling means are actuated when the magnet is attracted by an ironvessel.

2. The combination with an aerial supporting craft, of a bomb suspendedtherefrom, a magnet attached to the bomb, and signal means connectedwith the suspending means for the bomb, whereby said signaling means areactuated when the magnet is attracted by an iron vessel.

3. The combination with an aerial craft, 15 a casing and a suspendingrope, of a magnet in the casing, a spring attached to said rope leavinga slack portion therein, and said spring adapted to be extended when themagnet is attracted by the presence of a magnetic object.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

ANSELM PARSONS.

Witnesses:

CHARLES S. THUnsToN, MAUDE J. Conny.

